Method of electrically destroying undesired plant life along crop rows



`lune 19, 1956 E c, RAlNEY 2,750,712

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v 'Juventor ZPL CEc/L ,eA/EY MMM @f W tornegs Ilnited States Patent METHOD OF ELECTRICALLY DESTROYING UN- DESIRED PLANT LIFE ALONG CROP ROWS Earl Cecil Rainey, Tyronza, Ark.

Original application April 2, 1951, Serial No. 218,866, now latent No. 2,687,597, dated August 31, 1954. Divided and this application .lune 28, 1954, Serial No. 439,651

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 218,866, tiled April 2, 1951, now Patent No. 2,687,597.

In the cultivation of rows of plants raised from seed, a constant tight exists between the plants and the weeds, grass and insect life, and the grass, weeds and insects must be destroyed at various times during the growth of the plants.

The present invention particularly applies to plants in rows which at an early step of growth are thinned to establish hills containing one or more plants and to the destruction of the undesired weeds, grass and insect life. The invention contemplates selectively applying killing charges of electric current during various stages of the plant growth to successive and repeated undesired plant growths and insect life.

After crops are planted it is usually found that grass and weeds spring up much faster than the crop plants and choke the later-appearing and slower-growing plants, and that insect eggs turned up during planting hatch into embryo insects or such insects break through the ground surface and are protected by the grass and weeds. It is also found that later some of these insects are dislodged from the plants during cultivation.

This invention relates to a method of destroying such initially appearing weeds and grass and such insects by electric current.

It also relates to a method for so destroying grass, weeds and insect life, and undesired plants at uniform intervals along a plant row, leaving hills of plants spaced at such uniform intervals; and

It more particularly relates to methods by which after the hills of plants are established by the destruction of plant life intermediate such hills, and the plants have by subsequent growth become more sturdy, clearing out of weeds and grass which has sprung up between the hills, is controlled by the existing more advanced plants of the hills, and during this destruction insects which have infested the plants are shaken oit and also destroyed.

In the typical cultivation of row plants, intermediate plants, weeds, and grass are chopped out either by machinery or hand and hills of plants established. Plants in the hills continue to grow and become sturdy, but grass and weeds again spring up between the hills and a second, or in some cases even a third, chopping is necessary to remove them. Owing to variations in conditions no satisfactory Way has been found to insure a uniformity of hill spacing that will permit a second or additional chopping by machines, and hand chopping becomes a definite necessity which labor scarcity and expense often turn into a calamity, and even where labor is available insects in the embryo stage and subsequent conditions of growth are merely displaced rather than killed during hand or machine chopping.

The objects of the invention are:

To provide methods for destroying weeds, grass, undesired plant life and insects along plant rows by electric currents.

2,750,71 Patented June 19,1956

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To provide a method for effecting electrically the destruction of plant and other life along the rows at in terrupted intervals, leaving undestroyed hills of plants at such intervals.

To provide, subsequent to the establishment of hills of plants along rows, and growth and strengthening of the plants, a method for electrically effecting the destruction of grass, weeds, plant life and insects between said hills, in which current control is partly effected by the plants of the hills.

In general under the present invention these objects are accomplished by the generation of an electric current, preferably A. C., stepping this current up to high voltage, passing this high voltage current to ground through the plant or other life to be destroyed and interrupting this action where plants are to be retained.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specicadion on reference to the accompanying drawings in which the various views are of a two-row machine.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View typically outlining a farm tractor and related electric apparatus, including a current generator and voltage amplifier and preliminary apparatus for using high voltage current to destroy plant and insect life continuously along the rows.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with a cam and driving chain and pulleys installed to raise the plant destroying element and interrupt its action at desired intervals to leave hills of plants at such intervals.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevational view on the line III-III of Figs. l and 4.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a further view of the same tractor and cur rent generating equipment with the preferred type of current distributing apparatus used for the plant controlled destruction of undesired plant and other life.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5 showing two rows.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional elevational view taken as on the line VII-VII of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one of the control units and a fragmentary portion of the support thereof, with an arrow indicating the direction of advance movement.

Fig. 9 is an elevational View of the unit and a fragmentary part of the support, with the lower portion of the view in sectional elevation on the line IX-IX of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an inverted plan view of the hub portion of the control element with the insulating cover for the wiper and ring removed.

Fig. l1 is a front elevational view taken rearward of the section line XI-XI of Fig. 5, showing relation of the plant controlled current distributing apparatus to the rows and plants.

Fig. 12 is a coresponding plan view of the same parts.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, 12 indicates the body portion of a typical two-row farm tractor 10 having front wheels 14 which are adapted to run in the furrow 16 between two row 18 and main wheels 20 which are adapted to run in the furrows 22 outside those rows, the tractor having the usual power plant within and concealed by the body 12 and having as usual a power take-ofi through which auxiliary mechanism may be driven.

Tractors of this type have or may be readily equipped with transversely disposed support arms 24 which are provided for carrying various types of detachable auxiliary cultivating apparatus, and insofar as the present apparatus is concerned form readily available supporting means. The tractors are also usually equipped with various types of power take-olf mechanism, not here shown, which are available as a source of power for auxiliary mechanisms requiring power.

The present invention is preferably used in connection with sets of plows on opposite sides of the tractor body, Fig. 5, which are used to cultivate the sides of the rows, and which form grounds for electric circuits. Each set may be made up of two gangs of plows 26A, 26E and 28A, 28B, respectively, the gangs 26A, 26B cultivating one row and the gangs 28A, 28B the other. One set of plows is typical of both sets and each of the gangs 26A, 26B of all the gangs and the description hereinafter will be confined in the main to the foreground gang 26A. The plows 26A are jointly supported from the arms 24 in various ways in different makes of tractors, and are raised and lowered in various ways, often by elaborate hydraulic mechanism which forms no part of the present invention and is not shown.

As illustrating a construction which may be used, the plows, as the plows 26A, are jointly supported by a beam 30, which is hung by a hanger 32 carried by a lever 34 and the beam may be steadied by a brace lever 36 pivoted to the beam. Brace lever 36 is preferably attached by pivot 37 to a bracket 38, which in turn is carried by the support arm 24. The lever 34 may be a bell crank lever, pivoted as at 35 to bracket 3d, and may be connecte through a link 46 with a hand lever e2 by which the plows as a gang are raised and lowered. 44 is a notched quadrant associated with the hand lever to hold the plows in raised or lowered positions. Each beam is preferably provided forward of the plow with a pilot wheel 46, which is carried by a post 4S vertically adjustable in a sleeve member 50 mounted on the beam, and may be adjusted to run in the furrows 16 or 22 as the Acase may be, or on top of the row 18.

In accordance with the present invention an electric generator 56 is associated with or directly carried by the tractor, and is shown as carried by a trailer 58, detachably coupled as through a reach rod 60 and pin 62 to a coupler hitch 64 of the tractor.

The generator is preferably driven by a power take-off (not shown) of the tractor power plant through a coupling shaft 66 and speed step-up gears concealed within a gear housing 68, but may be otherwise powered if desired.

Associated with the generator is a voltage step-up coil or transformer 70 shown mounted on the generator, which steps up the voltage of the generated current to such high voltage, preferably of the nature of 25,000 volts as may be required. The generator and coil are connected by leads 72 which preferably include a cut-off switch 74.

From the coil 70, leads 76 and 7S respectively extend preferably through conduits 77 and 79 on opposite sides of the tractor to plant destroying means carried by the two batteries of plows 26 and 28, the coil circuits being completed from the destroying means through grounds established by the plows and the frame of the tractor and trailer.

The preferred construction of the destroying means is shown in Figs. through 9 in which destroying units 80A, 80B, and 82A, 82B are respectively carried by the beams 30 of the sets of plows 26 and 23, and coil lead 76 extends through the conduit 77 and its branches 77A, 77B to the destroying units 80A and 80B and the lead 7S through the conduit 79 and its branches 79A, 79B to the units 82A and 82B, Figs. 5 and 6.

Each of these units, as the units 80A, includes an upright post 84, preferably tubular, which may be adjustably mounted in a sleeve 86, having clamping .ears 86A, and extends below the sleeve. The sleeve 86 in turn is preferably hinged through pins 83 to ears 90A projecting from a sleeve 90, which sleeve is slidably carried by one of the beams 30 and securedagainst movement therealong as by a set screw 90B. :Preferably the pins :88 are at the level of the lower edge of the sleeve and permit the lower end of the post to swing freely outward, but co-act with the body of the sleeve to prevent inward movement past vertical. The post normally hangs in upright position, but may be additionally so urged as by tension spring 92, anchored at one end to a lug 90C extending upward from the sleeve 90, and at its opposite end to the post.

Iournalled on the lower end of the post 84 is a star wheel 94 of insulating material as rubber or Bakelite. The wheel includes a hub 94A and prongs 94B, and preferably includes a bushing 94C turning freely on the post 34 and is retained from dropping off the post as by a nut 84A and an interposed washer 94D, the hub being chambered to receive these parts, and to a depth to house both the nut and end of the post well above the bottom of the wheel. Preferably the post carries adjustable braking means including a shoe 96 which may be tightened against the hub of the wheel as by a screw 98 where conditions indicate that free turning of the wheel should be more or less restrained or prevented. Below the lower end of the post and the nut 84A the wheel carries an annular collector ring 100 which turns with the wheel. Disposed within the lower end of the post S4 is an insulating sleeve 102 which receives and rigidly carries a distributor plug 104 electrically connected to the lead 76, the plug slidably and electrically contacting the interior of the collector ring lt as through lingers 104A. Below the fingers 104A and the plug 104 a disc of insulating material 106 may be pressed into the collector ring to protect the fingers and post from exterior contact.

The under sides of the star wheel prongs 94B are each provided with a radial groove 198 in which is disposed a substantially coextensive distributor wire 110 electrically secured to the collector ring 100 at its inner end and embedded for support at its outer end in the prong. In cross section the grooves 10S are wider and slightly deeper than the diameter of the distributor wires 110 and house the wires from contact with plant or insect life, the prongs and wires forming destructor bars identified by the prong numerals 94B.

In planting seed (not shown) along the row, eggs (not shown) and larvae 112 of insects are brought to the surface and after the rows are planted and before the seeds sprout, grass and weeds 114 (Fig. l) spring up which choke the plants 116 (Fig. 2) as they subsequently appear and undesirably protect the eggs and larvae for subsequent growth into insects which attack the plants.

Initial destruction of such grass, weeds, insect eggs and larvae before the plant seeds have sprouted may be accomplished continuously along the rows, by disposing one prong 94B of each of the wheels of the destroyer units 80A, 80B, 82A, 82B, transversely across the rows, locking the wheels against turning and progressing the wheels along the rows. Preferably, however, as shown in Fig. l, bars of insulating material, of which only the bar 120 in foreground is shown, are disposed transversely across the rows and are supported at their opposite ends as by hangers 122 which in turn are supported by members 124 carried by the support arms 24 of the tractor. The bars 120 are provided on their under sides with grooves 120A. These grooves house each a distributor wire 126, Fig. 3, which is connected at one end through the conduit carried lead 76 from the coil 70 and embedded at the other end for support in the insulating bar and form of each destructor bar identied by the bar numeral 120. Should plows not be used with this a ground 178 is carried, preferably by the trailer 48.

Subsequently after the plant seeds have sprouted and grown into the plants 116 and a new crop of grass and weeds 114A have grown up therearound and therebetween, the intervening plants and grass may be chopped out by hand and hills of plants 116A established, or the intermediate plants may be destroyed by electric currents in accordance with this invention and the hills thus established. n l Y To accomplish this electrically, Fig. 2 shows the tractor equipped with the same transverse destructor bars 120, hangers 122 and supporting members 124 carried by the support arms 24, and the distributor wire 126 energized as before. The members 124 may be coupled by pivot pins 130 to brackets 132 mounted on the support arms 2 4. The arms 24, Fig. 2, also carry frame members 134 which support bearings 136. The bearings journal a shaft 138 to which a cam 140 and a sprocket 142 are secured, the cam underlying the supporting members 124 and abruptly raising and lowering the destructor bar 120 at uniformly spaced intervals, it being here noted that the insulation of the destructor bar prevents contact of the distributor wire with the sides of the plant during raising and lowering. The sprocket 142 may be driven through a chain belt 144 by a sprocket 146 secured on the axle 148 of the tractor. Forward movement of the tractor abruptly raises and lowers the transverse destructor bar 120 clear of the plants of the row at interrupted intervals.

The method of destroying undesired plant and insect life comprises, first, the destruction of all plant and insect life continuously along the row before the planted seed have sprouted and the desired plants have broken through the surface of the row; second, after the plants to be retained have subsequently appeared and established a stand, and grass and weeds have again grown up therebetween, the establishment of definite hills of plants with intervening plant life and insect life destroyed; third, after further growth of the plants in the hills, and additional grass and weeds have grown up therebetween, the use of the plants in the hills to determine the areas of undesired growth to be destroyed.

In the rst of these stages the tractor 10, the coupled generator 56 and coil 70 with the switch 74 closed and the depending transversely disposed destructor bars 120, Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4, are moved along the rows with the lower surfaces of the bars slightly above the upper surfaces of the rows by the insulating housing of the bars, but permitting contact with the grass and weeds and through the grass and weeds or directly with the larvae or eggs of the insects and by current flow or arcing, causing their destruction.

In the second of these stages subsequent to plant appearance and growth, chopping may be done by hand, or the tractor and other equipment including the destructor bars 120 in accordance with Fig. 2, may be moved along the rows as before. The axle driven sprocket 146 through the chain belt 144 drives the sprocket 142 and cam 140 and rais-es the destructor bar at uniform intervals to leave the undisturbed hills of plants 116A with intervening spaces free from vegetation or insect life.

Subsequent to the second stage the plants of the hills are allowed to continue their growth until vegetation again growing up between the hills make an additional clearing out necessary. The tractor and other equipment including the star wheels 94, released from locking restraint, is progressed along the rows. The prongs 94B of the wheels engage with and are turned transversely across the rows of the plants to effect destruction of underlying vegetation between the hills. The plants themselves irrespective of variations in spacing establish the limits of the spaces cleared and the side adges of the prongs prevent destructive engagement of the distributor wires 110 with the plants. Should the plants 116A be exactly centered with the machine as it is driven along the left hand row, Fig. l1, both star wheels 94 would successively engage and be turned by the plants and be equally effective. Should, however, the plants be otfset from center relatively to the machine as shown in the right hand row of the same figure, one or the other of the star wheels would be outwardly displaced against the action of gravity and the spring, if used, and damage to the plants not result, but the entire surface of the row would still be covered by succesive actions of the two wheels.

Iclaim:

l. The method of destroying undesired plant and insect life along a row of plants germinated from seed planted along said row, and destroying insect eggs and larvae exposed during such planting, which method includes: subsequent to undesired growths of weeds and grass, but prior to growth of said plants through said row surface, traversing along in proximity to, but substantially free from contact with, the surface of said row and in contact with said undesired growths, insect eggs and larvae, the discharge element of a circuit from a grounded source of high voltage current whereby to cause high voltage flow of said current through said undesired growth and surfaceoverlying insect eggs or larvae; after subsequent growth of said plants through and above said row surface and regrowth of accompanying undesired plant life, similarly retraversing said row with said discharge element insulated on its front, rear and top sides in like intimate proximity to said row and during said retraversing movement intermittently elevating said discharge element from and replacing same in row proximity and contact with plant and other growths at spaced intervals, whereby to leave spaced undestroyed plant hills at the intervals of element elevation from plant contact, and subsequently after further plant growth in said hills and accompanying undesired growths therebetween, retraversing said row with displaceable discharge elements insulated on their front, rear and top sides, in like intimate proximity to said row and confining destructive action of said current to surface areas of said rows between said hills, by displacing action of the plants in said hills on the insulation of said discharge elements.

2. The method of destroying undesired plant and insect life along a row of plants germinated from seed planted along said row, and destroying insect eggs and larvae exposed during such planting, which method includes: subsequent to undesired growths of weeds and grass, but prior to growth of said plants through said row surface, traversing along in proximity to, but substantially free from contact with, the surface of said row and in contact with said undesired growths', insect eggs and larvae, the discharge element of a circuit from a grounded source of high voltage current whereby to cause high voltage flow of said current through said undesired growth and surfaceoverlying insect eggs or larvae; after subsequent growth of accompanying undesired plant life, similarly retraversing said row with said discharge element insulated on its front, rear and top sides in like intimate proximity to said row and during said retraversing movement intermittently elevating said discharge element from and replacing same in row proximity and contact with plant and other growths at spaced intervals, whereby to leave spaced undestroyed plant hills at the intervals of elevation from plant contact; subsequently after further plant growth in said hills and accompanying undesired growths therebetween, retraversing said row with displaceable discharge elements insulated on their front, rear and top sides, in like intimate proximity to said row and conning destructive action of said current to surface areas of said rows between said hills, by displacing action of the plants in said hills on the insulation of said discharge elements, and iinally after said plants have reached maturity retraversing said row with flexibly divertable uninsulated discharge elements extending into the path of said plants.

3. The method of destroying undesired plant and insect life along a row of plants germinated from seed planted along said row, and destroying insect eggs and larvae exposed during such planting, which method includes: subsequent to undesired growths of weeds and grass, but prior to growth of said plants through said row surface, traversing along in proximity to, but substantially free from contact with, the surface of said row and in contact with said undesired growths, insect eggs and larvae, the discharge element of a circuit from a grounded source of high voltage current whereby to cause high voltage flow of said current through-said undesired growth and surfaceoverlying insect eggs or larvae; and after subsequent growth of said plants through and above said row surface and regrowth of accompanying undesired plant life, similarly retraversing said row with said discharge element insulated on its front, rear and top sides in like intimate proximity to said row and during said retraversing movement intermittently elevating said discharge element from and replacing same in row proximity and contact with plant and other growth at spaced intervals, whereby to establish spaced undestroyed plant hills at the intervals of element elevation from plant contact.

4. The method of destroying undesired plant and insect life along a row of plants germinated from seed planted along said row, and destroying insect eggs and larvae, which method includes: subsequent to growth of said plants through and above said row surface and growth of accompanying undesired plant life, traversing said row with the discharge element of a circuit from a grounded source of high voltage current, said element being insulated on its front, rear and top sides, in intimate proximity to said row and during said traversing movement intermittently elevating said discharge element from and replacing same in row proximity and contact with plant and other growth at spaced intervals, whereby to establish spaced undestroyed plant hills at the intervals of element elevation from plant contact, and subsequently after further plant growth in said hills and accompanying undesired growths therebetween, retraversing said row with displaceable discharge elements insulated on their front, rear and top sides, in like intimate proximity to said row and confining destructive action of said current to surface areas of said rows between said hills, by displacing action of the plants in said hills on the insulation of said discharge elements.

5. The method of destroying undesired plant and insect life along a row of plants germinated from seed planted along said row, and destroying insect eggs and larvae exposed during such planting, which method includes: subsequent to growth of said plants through said row surface and growth of accompanying undesired plant life, traversing along in proximity to, but substantially free from Contact with, the surface of said row, and in contact with said undesired growth, the discharge element of a circuit from a grounded source of high voltage current whereby to cause high voltage flow of said current through said undesired growth and surface-overlying insect eggs or larvae, and during said traversing movement intermittently elevating said discharge element from and replacing same in row proximity and contact with plant and other growth at spaced intervals, whereby to establish spaced undestroyed plant hills at the intervals of element elevation from plant Contact.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,484,443 Baker Oct. 11, 1949 2,596,504 Opp May 13, 1952 2,682,729 Poynor July 6, 1954. 2,687,597 Rainey Aug. 3l, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Electrical World, vol. 125, No. 23, pp. 124 and 126 (June 8, 1946), Weeds Are Killed by Electrocution." 

